Sessions cover subjects from GPS ear tags and water restoration to industry lessons.
Malta, MT — Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA), a rancher-founded nonprofit serving the region for more than 20 years, has wrapped up its 2026 Rural Resilience webinar series, bringing together producers and partners for four evenings of practical, producer-driven learning. The series reflects RSA’s ongoing work to equip ranchers with the tools they need to make informed decisions for their operations, land, and livestock.
This year’s series drew 209 participants from multiple states and into Canada, highlighting continued interest. RSA appreciates those who joined the sessions live and encourages anyone who missed a webinar, or would like a refresher, to watch the recordings on their YouTube channel: youtube.com/RanchersStewardshipAlliance. Recognizing this is a busy season on the ranch, audio versions of each session are also being added to the Ranch Stewards Podcast, available on all major platforms and online at RanchStewards.org/podcast.
Each session was designed to be practical and accessible, featuring 60 minutes of instruction followed by 30 minutes of audience Q&A, allowing participants to dig deeper into topics and hear directly from speakers.
The series featured four sessions:
- Ranch Tech: GPS Tags & Drone Seeding
Ranchers Ryan Lankford and Steve Kenyon highlighted how emerging technologies such as GPS ear tags and drone-based frost seeding are helping producers improve efficiency while maintaining stewardship goals. - Ranch Health: Cattle Vaccination Best Practices
Dr. Katie Rein of Crazy Mountain Veterinary Service provided guidance for proper livestock vaccination techniques, offering valuable insights for both experienced producers and those newer to animal care. - Ranch Water: Low-Tech, High-Impact Restoration
Paul Jones of Tomichi Creek Ecosystem Services introduced low-tech process-based restoration methods, demonstrating how simple, cost-effective approaches can enhance water retention, improve riparian health, and support drought management. - Ranch Insights: Sheep Industry Takeaways for Beef
Brent Roeder, MSU Extension Sheep Specialist, shared lessons from the U.S. sheep industry’s history, offering important perspectives for cattle producers navigating changing markets and policies.
“We’re grateful to everyone who joined us this year,” said Haylie Shipp, RSA Communications Director. “What makes this series meaningful is that it is shaped by ranchers themselves. The ideas, questions, and challenges we hear from producers directly guide the topics we bring forward, and we encourage folks to keep sharing those ideas as we begin planning for 2027.”
Have thoughts for 2027? Producers and partners can share ideas by emailing Mary Oxarart, Education Program Manager, at [email protected] or calling the RSA office at 406-654-1405.
Looking ahead, several in-person events are planned for the remainder of 2026. On July 8, a Ranch Tour will be held at the Webb Ranch Homestead near Loring, Montana. September 15–16 will feature a two-day “Banking on Your Business” Ranching for Profit short course with Dallas Mount in Glasgow. On September 28–29, Soil Health Field Days will take place in Malta featuring Ray Archuleta and Alejandro Carrillo. More information about these events, and registration when available, can be found at RanchStewards.org/events.
